Author Archives: Ida Torres

Quadruped robot can pick up cigarette butts on beaches

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You’re walking along a beautiful beach when your senses are suddenly marred by cigarette butts just lying along the sand. Anyone who has ever visited the beach has probably had that experience as these are among the most common trash we see lying around. Using humans to clean it up is of course the most practical but it can be a tedious and slow process.

Designer: Dynamic Legged Systems at the Italian Institute of Technology

In this age of robotics, we can of course get them to clean this up. VERO or Vacuum-cleaner Equipped Robot is one such device that has been developed for this very purpose. It is a dog-like quadruped robot that uses vacuum nozzles on its feet and is equipped with depth cameras and uses a neural network. It is based around the the AlienGo robot from Unitree.

The vacuum is mounted on the back of the robot with hoses going down the legs and with 3D-printed nozzles that can suck the butts as near the ground as possible without the robot toppling over. It is able to use the depth camera mounted on the robot’s chin and the neural network to not only detect the butts but also to chart a path towards and around it.

The VERO is tested not just on sand but also on stairs and uneven surfaces in Genova where the lab is located. It is not that quick yet but is still better than humans manually picking up butts since the latter will eventually get tired and fed up. There may be other potential use cases for a robot like this like inspecting cracks in buildings and bridges, placing nails and rivets, and even spraying weeds in crop fields.

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Kodak digital film scanner lets you preserve your analog film negatives

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As someone who took a lot of pictures back in the good old days of film cameras and also took up photography classes in my film major university days, I used to have boxes of films in my room. Of course eventually they became useless and I had to throw them away since there was no easy way to scan and preserve them. Now I am regretting that decision since there are devices that can make it easy to digitize these rolls of films.

Designer: Kodak

One such easy-to-use and relatively affordable devices is the Kodak Slide N Scan Digital Film Scanner. Basically it’s almost the size of a regular camera and its main function is to view, edit, and convert your old negatives. It is able to do that for both color and b&w negatives with 135, 110, and 126mm sizes and it can also convert 50mm slides in those sizes as well. You can also adjust everything into a gallery, edit date and time stamps, and transfer them to your computer or hard drive.

You can get one that has a 5-inch or a 7-inch LCD, depending on how small or big you want that screen to view and edit your film strips. It uses a quick-feeding tray technology so you can have a continuous loading action and also comes with the adapter for the different sizes. It can also help you resize and convert the photos with an easy scan button. You can also do some basic editing things like adjust brightness, enhance, crop, and adjust the quality of the images as you digitize them.

I also discovered that a lot of Gen Z kids are going back to film cameras to preserve their memories. So this device will be useful for the older generation who experienced the heyday of film cameras and to the younger ones who are discovering their joys. Both would want to preserve these images and a portable film scanner is the best way to do so.

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Ikebana vessel looks like a puddle of water with a flower sprouting out of it

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I rarely display flowers in my space for a lot of reasons. Fresh ones are a bit expensive and hard to come by, my apartment is a bit humid and already overstuffed, I’m too lazy to take care of them and prolong their life, etc. So many excuses but basically I don’t have time or space. Also I don’t have vases or vessels to place them in although it’s pretty easy to find one in the nearest mall and there is no shortage of interestingly designed ones to choose from.

Designers: Naoki Ono and Yuki Yamamoto

If these were produced and made available commercially, I might have actually gotten them. Puddle is a series of unique-looking flower vessels that were designed to look like what it’s name after. I really can’t call them vases since there is a limit to the amount of flowers it can hold. The body is designed to look like different water puddle patterns so the flower you place in (on?) it looks like it’s sprouting from that puddle.

The transparent body which has different organic water puddle shapes has a wall that’s just 1.55 m high, just enough to have a cup of water. There’s a tiny needle in the middle where you can insert a single plant stem. You just have to pour water over the needle to fill the vessel with it and even creating actual puddles while doing so with water spilling over into the ledge. I don’t know how long that single stem of flower can last given the way the vessel is designed.

But it’s a pretty interesting and unique kind of flower vessel to have around your space. You can maybe even fool some guests to thinking that you have spilled some water and there’s a flower that grew out of that. Well, if they don’t really look that closely. Sadly it didn’t get produced for commercial purchase, maybe due to practicality reasosns.

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Glass jar lets you hold sparklers up close and personal

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When it comes to firecrackers and fireworks displays, I’m not the biggest fan. I keep thinking of all the wasted money that goes into having just a few seconds of fun, not to mention how dangerous it can sometimes be . The closest that I would probably enjoy some version of them is holding sparklers in my hands. But again, they only last a few seconds and sometimes the wind will even make that shorter so I’d rather not just hold one in my hands.

Designer: Kenji Fujii of Taki Corporation

Tenohira Hanabi is a sparkler holder so you can enjoy them a little bit longer and safely in the palm of your hands. It’s a jar named “sparkler in your palm” literally and it has no other function except to keep the sparklers, specifically the senko hanabi (incense fireworks), in your hands. It’s a glass jar that has dimples on both sides so you can keep the T-shaped sparkler dangling inside the jar.

This means that once you light up these tiny sparklers, you’ll be able to look at them up close. You’re also keeping them lighted and sparkling a bit longer than when you’re holding them since the glass jar protects it from the winds. I’m not sure though if it can be used for regular sized sparklers so you will have to enjoy the incense fireworks when using the Tenohira Hanabi.

If not used as a sparkler holder, maybe it can also function as a regular jar where you can store small things like candies. Or since it looks cute enough, it can also just be a decorative object until the next time you need to light up some sparklers again.

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Cone-shaped stool made from stainless steel gives a flexible, stable seat

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Not all stools are created to be comfortable. In fact, for me, stools are generally not the most comfortable when it comes to furniture you can sit on. But we’re seeing a lot of pretty interesting stool designs which can also sometimes double as art pieces. They are both functional and aesthetic, even if not the most practical.

Designer: Sukchulmok Studios

Take the chul-02 for instance, a stainless steel cone stool that looks very interesting but something you wouldn’t think of sitting on at first glance. The design peg is for the, well, pegs, used in landscape lighting. The idea for the pointed joints is that it can stand stably on hard surfaces but can also be pressed into the ground if needed.

The three conical shapes form the entire stool and they are designed to lean on one another so you get a flexible seat. You can tilt the joints so you can put one on a stable surface while the other pegs can be put into the ground. Supposedly that will make it stable enough although I have my doubts looking at the thin legs. The three round seats actually makes it look like part of a percussion set but apparently it can accept all kinds of behinds to sit on it.

The Korea-based studio is planning to release new furniture pieces that is made from steel, wood, and stone. It’s a pretty interesting start although I don’t know if I would sit on one if I saw it in person. I’d rather look at it or use it as a side table, which may be one of the secondary functions of the chul-02.

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Mesmerizing Paired Cubes and its 3,500 polycarbonate panels invites viewers to play

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It’s always interesting and nice to see installations that are not just works of art but also invite the viewer to interact with it. Sure, paintings and sculptures in museums are nice to look at but of course you’re not allowed to touch them for important reasons. So art installations are much more accessible and in a sense, more experimental, especially if visitors are invited to touch and explore it.

Designer: A+U Lab

Paired Cubes is a temporary pavilion that is set up in Busan, South Korea but is also created to be transferred and assembled in other public spaces. It is made up of 3,500 recycled polycarbonate panels put together in 2.5m tall pavilions and put together without any fittings or glue. It has eight outer facades and two inner walls and the overall effect, especially when illuminated, is that they look like floating panels.

Aside from its sustainability, the pavilion is also pretty interactive as visitors are actually invited to interact with the structure and its visual patterns and optical textures. They are put together in both a symmetrical and asymmetrical fashion. During the day, you can explore the layered surfaces that bring about various shadowy patterns. When it becomes darker, it becomes a luminous box which attracts you to go inside the pavilion.

Up to 6 people can go inside the structure at once but you can also just stay outside to play around with the panels. It is also built to be easily disassembled, transported, and reassembled so we can expect to see this pop up in other areas after this.

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Outdoor heater tower concept keeps you toasty on those cold, winter nights

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Since I live in a tropical country, the idea of outdoor heaters (even indoor, actually) is something totally foreign to me. But when I visited New Zealand during the winter season, I finally realized the importance of having this piece of appliance. You need to feel a bit of artificial warmth when you have to stay outdoors especially late at night. It helps a lot to have some sort of heater when you want to enjoy a cool night by the lake or in your backyard.

Designer: Yuhang Lei

This concept for an outdoor heater called Terra Hiker is meant to be placed in places like outdoor cafes, backyards, camping sites, etc. It can heat up to 30 square meters as it has a heating power of 16KW (55,000 BTU). The 13-kilogram propane tank that comes with it can burn up to 38 hours so you can enjoy heated temperature for several hours.

It actually looks like a machine from a sci-fi movie or show with its geometric cutting design and its capsule-like shape. I feel like a creature will arrive at any time but thankfully, heat is the only thing that will come out of it. It is made up of pre-assembled modes so you can assemble everything in around 15 minutes (providing you follow/understand the instructions).

The outdoor heater can be installed in two different ways so you get two height options which adjusts to your need and how you’ll use it. The prototype shows it’s easy to move around although it’s not really that portable because of the propane tank aspect. But it’s well-designed enough that it won’t be an eyesore to your outdoor space.

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Peculiar mood light is inspired by light pillar phenomenon

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When I see pillars of light from the sky, my mind immediately goes to alien abductions, thanks to sci-fi movies and shows that show people being kidnapped by aliens on their ships. But light pillars are actually beautiful optical phenomenon that some are privileged to see in real life and not scary at all. To see it replicated in every day objects is pretty cool.

Designer: O_1 Design

The Fila Night Mood Light by Auge Light takes its inspiration from light pillars to give an atmospheric and aesthetic lamp. Using a magnetic suction filament, they’re able to somehow connect “the sky and the ground” at least inside the lamp. They also use a magnetic suction ball to represent the “floating heart of a human being”.

Basically you have a linear pillar of light shining inside this structure. You can control the brightness on three levels, with level 1 being 10%, level 2 at 50%, and if you want the full effect, you get 100% in level 3. It uses magnetic absorption LED to give you the lighting magic. You can also shake it to degauss (remove unwanted magnetism) the filament and invert the lamp body magnetic suction so the filament becomes vertical.

The mood lamp does look pretty especially when placed in dark areas as it adds a certain futuristic look to your space. I still feel like a UFO will pluck me from my house though especially as the top suction part looks like the entrance to an alien spaceship.

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Bubblic Public project offers a modular vehicle for passengers, delivery, mobile farms

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When you think of transportation in the near future, you probably dream of flying cars or hoverboards since that’s what we see on sci-fi movies and shows. Even though there are experiments already on that kind of vehicles, we’re probably still a few years away from that. But there are also concepts and experiments on a more grounded, so to speak, kind of public transport that is more practical and realistic but also futuristic.

Designers: Move Lab and ID+IM Design Lab

Bubblic Public is a project that conceptualized a modular and lightweight kind of transportation system. It is meant to be on-demand and can fit the needs of whomever will be hailing the single-module design vehicle. It is basically made up of extendable bamboo stem-inspired chassis and airbags that is flexible enough that it can be used as passenger transport, delivery vehicle, or even a mobile smart farm. It can adjust to the size and needs of the end users during different time periods.

The design inspiration is “like bubbles that appear out of nowhere” since it is meant to show up to users when they order it. It is made of military-grade TPU but is also easily replaceable if some parts are damaged because of its modular design. It has inflated bubble seats when functioning as a passenger transport and the front, back, and side rows can be opened at the top. Package bubbles will be used if it is hailed as a delivery transport.

There will be an app where people can join a rideshare group or ride the nearest available Bubblic Public. That is where you can also hail one for your delivery or smart farm purposes and the vehicle will be transformed according to your need. It is an interesting concept and one that we may actually see in the near future. Maybe eventually there will be even be a flying bubble so it will stay true to its name.

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Foldable heater and camping stove concept attaches to your bike for outdoor adventures

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Those who enjoy spending time outdoors regularly or occasionally need to have a lot of tools with them especially if they will be spending the night camping. There are a lot of different products that they can bring along but if you’re just biking, you need some things that are more portable since you can only carry so much. There are also designers that are more into creating concepts and sometimes actual products to cater to this market.

Designer: Andrea Casagrande

The Leikki is a concept for wood-burning camping stove that is all about portability. The design is inspired by the Risuketin, a traditional Finnish stove found in homes that serve as heaters and as cooking stoves. The designer was also inspired by hexagon shapes since it is “the most efficient way to organize a space symmetrically”. What he came up with is a lightweight stove that is easy to assemble and bring around even if your transportation is only a bike.

The assembly process only takes three basic steps if you’re able to follow instructions easily. Open the gusset face, insert the different grills, and then close the whole thing with a pin. On paper it should be pretty easy and I assume that most hikers and campers are good at following instructions. There’s an upper hole where you can inser twigs and then to insert wood, lift the pan and then put it inside.

The stove can fit different types and sizes of pots and pans and you need to place different support pieces depending on the size. If you don’t have wood to cook, you can take the ash pan, turn it upside down and then place on the top of the grate then use solid fuel or alcohol. It comes with a case which you can strap to your bike and also place other stuff inside that you may need to bring on your trip.

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